Geographic location of Eurasia. Geographical characteristics of Eurasia Plan characteristics of the mainland Eurasia

Eurasia is the largest continent on the planet, occupying 1/3 of the entire land mass. This is the only continent on Earth, which is washed on all sides by the waters of the oceans; coastline it is heavily indented, and a large number of tiny and very large peninsulas protrude into the ocean. In the center of our article are the features of the geographical position of Eurasia.

General information

The size of Eurasia cannot fail to impress: the total area of ​​the continent is 54 million square meters. km, and the islands belonging to it occupy an area of ​​​​3.45 million square meters. km.

Eurasia is a very large continent, occupying almost the entire Northern Hemisphere. It also covers a small part of the Southern Hemisphere with its adjacent islands. The length of Eurasia from west to east is 18 thousand km, and from north to east - 8 thousand km.

Due to its impressive size and great length, Eurasia has all the climatic zones and natural zones that successively replace each other. Thanks to this, the nature of the mainland is remarkable for its amazing diversity: here are lands bound eternal ice, dense taiga forests, endless steppes, hot deserts and humid equatorial jungles.

Rice. 1. Nature of Eurasia.

Historically, the giant continent is usually divided into two parts of the world: Asia and Europe. Despite the fact that there is no contrasting difference between them, they are separated by a conditional border that runs along the ridges of the Ural Mountains, the Black Sea and Caspian coasts, through the Bosphorus and Gibraltar straits.

Eurasia is unevenly divided into parts of the world: Europe occupies only 20% of the mainland's land surface.

TOP 4 articleswho read along with this

Eurasia and the World Ocean

Eurasia is the only one of the six continents of the globe, which is washed on all sides by ocean waters.

• The northern coast of the mainland borders the Arctic Ocean.
• The southern shores are washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
• East belongs to the Pacific Ocean.
• The west coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.

Rice. 2. Arctic Ocean.

Eurasia has a connection with Africa through the Suez Canal, and with North America The mainland is connected by a small Bering Strait.

For western region Eurasia is characterized by a pronounced indentation of the coastline. In Europe, the maximum distance from the sea coast is approximately 600 km. The interior regions of Asia, due to their large size, are remote from the seas at a much greater distance - up to 1500 km. No other region on any continent is located so far from the sea coast.

Extreme points of the mainland

The exploration of the continent by brave travelers and researchers made it possible to find out the exact geographical position of Eurasia, create accurate maps and come to the realization that open vast territories represent a single continent of immense size.

Due to its relatively small size and high population density, Europe was quickly developed. The situation was different with Asia, which for many years remained a mystery to European researchers. Later, the rest of the regions were mastered by the North of Eurasia, which for a long time frightened off travelers with its harsh climate.

The extreme points of the Eurasian continent include:

• North - Cape Chelyuskin (77°43′ N), located on the Taimyr Peninsula.
• South - Cape Piai (1°16′ N) in Malaysia.
• West - Cape Roca (9°31′ W), located in Portugal.
• East - Cape Dezhnev (169°42′ W) on the Chukotka Peninsula.

Rice. 3. Cape Piai.

What have we learned?

When studying the topic Geographical position Eurasia ”in the 7th grade geography program, we found out in which hemisphere the world's largest continent is located, what are its dimensions and the exact coordinates of the extreme points. We found out what characteristics continent, and how it differs from other continents of the Earth.

Topic quiz

Report Evaluation

Average rating: 3.9. Total ratings received: 252.

This article will consider the largest continent - Eurasia. He received this name due to the combination of two words - Europe and Asia, which personify two parts of the world: Europe and Asia, which are united as part of this continent, and the islands also belong to Eurasia.

The area of ​​Eurasia is 54.759 million km2, which is 36% of the entire land area. The area of ​​the Eurasian islands is 3.45 million km2. The population of Eurasia is also impressive, as it accounts for 70% of the total population on the entire planet. As of 2010, the population of the Eurasian continent was already more than 5 billion people.

The continent of Eurasia is the only continent of the planet Earth, which is washed by 4 oceans at once. The Pacific Ocean washes the mainland in the east, the Arctic Ocean washes the north, the Atlantic Ocean washes the mainland in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south.

The dimensions of Eurasia are quite impressive. The length of Eurasia when viewed from west to east is 18,000 kilometers and 8,000 kilometers when viewed from north to south.

Eurasia has all the climatic zones, natural zones and climatic zones that exist on the planet.

The extreme points of Eurasia, which are located on the mainland:

There are four extreme continental points that Eurasia has:

1) In the north of the mainland, Cape Chelyuskin (77 ° 43′ N), which is located on the territory of the country of Russia, is considered the extreme point.

2) In the south of the mainland, Cape Piai (1°16′ N), which is located in the country of Malaysia, is considered the extreme point.

3) In the west of the mainland, the extreme point is Cape Roca (9º31′ W), which is located in the country of Portugal.

4) And finally, in the east of Eurasia, the extreme point is Cape Dezhnev (169°42′ W), which also belongs to the country of Russia.

The structure of the mainland Eurasia

The structure of the continent of Eurasia differs from all other continents. First of all, the fact that the mainland consists of several plates and platforms, as well as the fact that the continent in its formation is considered the youngest of all the others.

The northern part of Eurasia consists of the Siberian Platform, the East European Platform, and the West Siberian Plate. To the east, Eurasia consists of two plates: it includes the South China platform and also includes the Sino-Korean platform. In the west, the mainland includes plates of Paleozoic platforms and Hercynian folding. The southern part of the mainland consists of the Arabian and Indian platforms, the Iranian plate and part of the Alpine and Mesozoic folding. The central part of Eurasia consists of the Aleozoic folding and the Paleozoic platform plate.

Eurasian platforms that are located on the territory of Russia

The continent of Eurasia has many large cracks and faults, which are located on Lake Baikal, in Siberia, in Tibet and other regions.

Relief of Eurasia

Due to its size, Eurasia as a continent has the most diverse relief on the planet. The mainland itself is considered the highest mainland on the planet. Above the highest point of the continent of Eurasia, only the continent of Antarctica, but it is higher only due to the thickness of the ice covering the earth. The landmass of Antarctica itself does not exceed Eurasia in height. It is in Eurasia that the largest plains in terms of their area and the highest and most extensive mountain systems are located. Also on the territory of Eurasia there are the Himalayas, which are the highest mountains on planet Earth. Accordingly, the highest mountain in the world is located on the territory of Eurasia - this is Chomolungma (Everest - height 8,848 m).

Today, the relief of Eurasia is determined by intense tectonic movements. Many regions on the territory of the Eurasian continent are characterized by high seismic activity. There are also active volcanoes in Eurasia, which include volcanoes in Iceland, Kamchatka, the Mediterranean and others.

Climate of Eurasia

The continent of Eurasia is the only continent on which all climatic zones and climatic zones are present. In the north of the mainland there are arctic and subarctic belts. The climate here is very cold and harsh. To the south begins a wide strip of the temperate zone. Due to the fact that the length of the mainland from west to east is very huge, the following zones are distinguished in the temperate zone: maritime climate in the west, then temperate continental, continental and monsoon climate.

South of the temperate zone is the subtropical zone, which is also divided into three zones from the west: Mediterranean climate, continental and monsoon climate. The very south of the mainland is occupied by the tropical and subequatorial belts. The equatorial belt is located on the islands of Eurasia.

Inland waters on mainland Eurasia

The continent of Eurasia differs not only in the amount of water space that washes it from all sides, but also in the size of inland water resources. This continent is the richest in terms of the number of underground and surface water. It is on the mainland of Eurasia that the most major rivers planets that flow into all the oceans surrounding the continent. These rivers include the Yangtze, Ob, Huang He, Mekong, Amur. It is on the territory of Eurasia that the largest and deepest reservoirs are located. These include the largest lake in the world - the Caspian Sea, the deepest lake in the world - Baikal. Underground water resources distributed on the mainland rather unevenly.

As of 2018, there are 92 independent states on the territory of Eurasia that are fully functioning. The largest country in the world - Russia is also located on Eurasia. By clicking on the link you can see a complete list of countries with area and population. Accordingly, Eurasia is richest in the nationality of the people living on it.

Fauna and flora on the Eurasian continent

Since all natural zones are present on the Eurasian continent, the diversity of flora and fauna is simply enormous. The mainland is inhabited by a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, insects and other representatives of the animal world. The most famous representatives of the animal world in Eurasia are the brown bear, fox, wolf, hares, deer, elk, squirrels. This list goes on and on because big variety animals can be found on the mainland. Also birds, fish, which have adapted to both low temperatures and arid climates.

Mainland Eurasia video:

Due to the size and location of the mainland, the flora is also very diverse. On the mainland there are deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. There are tundra, taiga, semi-deserts and deserts. The most famous representatives of trees are birch, oak, ash, poplar, chestnut, linden and many others. Also a variety of species of herbs and shrubs. The poorest region on the mainland in terms of flora and fauna is the far north, where only mosses and lichens can be found. But the more you go to the south, the more diverse and rich the vegetation and animal world on the mainland.

If you liked given material, share it with your friends in in social networks. Thanks!

Eurasia is rightfully recognized as a continent that can be included in the top "most-most". It is the largest in area, there is the highest mountain peak, in addition, the mainland is inhabited by a third of the world's population. Eurasia is rich in its history, and its earth's surface contains a large number of countries and nationalities. In other words, the most interesting continent, about which we will tell the most informative facts and details.

About Eurasia, we can say with accuracy that almost everything is here. Everything that was not in this territory was eventually brought and propagated. The fact is that Eurasia is located in absolutely all climatic zones, there are all types of climate here, from warm equatorial to harsh and cold Arctic, which is mostly concentrated in the north of the continent. There is also a wide variety of flora and fauna.

The main continental part of Eurasia lies in the northern hemisphere, and in the southern part of the Earth there are island land areas. Since this continent is the largest, it also has the largest number of irregularities: mountains, depressions, indented coastline. This is especially true in the southeast. It would seem that Eurasia is connected with African continent. In fact, this is not so, they are separated by the Suez Canal. Therefore, Eurasia is a separate continent. The territory of Eurasia is amazing, it is filled with lakes, seas, rivers, while the entire continent is washed by all 4 oceans.

Description of the climate of Eurasia according to the plan Grade 7

Due to the fact that the territory of Eurasia extends immediately in all climatic zones, the climate here will be the most diverse. The mainland is different in that it is not crossed by the equator (only the island part), while the following climatic zones are assigned to it:

Most of the mainland is in the temperate climate zone. A temperate continental climate prevails here with an average temperature in July of + 25 Cº, in winter, in January, the thermometer can drop to -19 Cº. In some regions located in the Far North, the temperature can reach -63 Cº.

The temperature on the continent varies from north to south. The northern tip of Eurasia is mostly located in the arctic and subarctic climatic zone. Basically, the climate of the mainland corresponds to the conventionally designated zoning, but in the mountains the situation is changing. The climate is also changing in the south and southeast of Asia, the coming monsoons from the Indian Ocean change the weather, resulting in a large amount of precipitation.

In general, 4 types of air currents hang over the territory of Eurasia. mountain upland at the same time, it serves as a kind of boundary between the flows of cold or warm masses, dry or wet. Arctic masses form over the arctic and subarctic belts, moderate masses form over most of Eurasia in the temperate zone, and, accordingly, tropical and equatorial masses.

If we compare the boundaries of the relief and the climatic zone, then we can say that in the northern part of the Himalayan mountains, the amount of precipitation reaches a level of 80-100 mm, while in the east of the Himalayas it is 10,000 mm and higher. It is the same picture with the Alps, they bring warm winters to the countries along the Mediterranean Sea, and leave cold streams for Central Europe, where winters are colder.

Description of the population of Eurasia

Europe is very heterogeneous in its composition. It is filled with both the largest powers: Russia, China, India, and very tiny states, which in size occupy an area no larger than an average city, for example, the Vatican or Andorra. But, despite all this, Europe with an area of ​​10.18 million km2 accommodates about 741 million people on its territory. Conventionally, Eurasia is divided into 2 parts Europe and Asia, but it is Asia that stands out for its population density. Analysts in many countries of the world have revealed that the European birth rate has decreased several times, while the Asian one is growing every year.

Representatives of three races are expressed in Eurasia - Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Ethiopian. The southeast of the continent is considered the most densely populated. If the average population density in Eurasia is 93-94 people (per 1 sq. km), in China (160 people / 1 sq. km) the density is increased by almost 2 times, in Indonesia by 1.5 times (125 people / 1 sq. km). 1 sq. km).

According to the nationalities on the continent, a Slavic group is distinguished (Russians, Moravians, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Czechs, Belarusians, Croats), a German group (Germans, Swedes, Norwegians, English), Chinese (peoples of East Asia), Arabic, Indo-Iranian, Sino-Tibetan, it also includes the peoples of Japan and Korea.

Description of northern Eurasia

Northern Eurasia is spread out on the shores of the cold Arctic Ocean. Three climatic zones are concentrated on this territory: arctic, subarctic and temperate. The Arctic is the most severe and brings cold air masses, as a result, this influence cannot be ignored. The temperature throughout the year here does not rise above 0 Cº, winter drags on for almost 12 months. The average temperature is -40 Cº.

In the subarctic zone, the picture is much more rosy. There is a short summer here, almost without precipitation, but with abundant winds and a temperature of +12 Cº. The rest of the year is occupied by winters, with little precipitation. Another part of northern Eurasia captures the temperate zone, where all 4 seasons appear with a mild temperature transition and precipitation. The warmest winters here are in the western European part, this is due to the flow of the Atlantic masses.

The diversity of nature begins in the tundra and taiga. The habitat of animals, just like the distribution of vegetation, depends on the person and the specifics of the climate. For example, deer, arctic foxes, foxes, white hares, tundra partridges are common in the tundra. Moving further to the Arctic, only polar bears, seals, fur seals, some birds, most of which are nomadic, are encountered.

Northern Eurasia with a temperate climate accommodates a more diverse flora and fauna. The temperature is conducive to the habitation of wolves, wolverines, foxes, saigas, hares, deer, bears (brown), elks and some other animals that are also found in the middle lane. Birds include hazel grouse, black grouse, woodpeckers, swallows, falcons, etc.

Northern Eurasia is considered the most sparsely populated after the northeast. Mostly in these areas they are engaged in fishing, forestry and mining. The north of the continent is filled with oil, gas, various ore deposits, gold and diamond reserves. A lot of oil and gas processing enterprises, metal and stone processing enterprises are concentrated in the northern territory.

Description of the Eurasian River

Eurasia is more than other continents filled with the waters of rivers, lakes and even seas. The longest river on the continent, the Yangtze, flows through its territory. And the most full-flowing is the Ganges, if you look down the map, we will see that it connects with the Brahmaputra - the most little-studied river. Nevertheless, it is an important artery of Asia. The rivers Indus, Ayeyarwaddy, Mekong, Solween are located nearby, literally parallel to each other, they carry their waters into the oceans. With them, the Amur, the Huang He, the Tigris, and the Euphrates rush to the large harbor.

Many rivers are concentrated in Northern Eurasia on the territory of Russia, flowing into the Arctic Ocean: Yenisei, Kolyma, Indigirka, Yana, Olenyok, Khatanga, Ob. There are other small rivers flowing into large waters, but the greatest rivers of Russia are: the Lena - as the longest river, the Yenisei - is famous for its full flow, the Ob - forms many small rivers and eventually ends with the widest and most overflowing outlet to the ocean, the Ural is a river , which serves as a separator between the European and Asian parts of Eurasia.

There are many other rivers in Eurasia, which can also be noted by their full flow, length, sinuosity, for example, the Dnieper, Seine, Rhine, Danube. The Volga is considered the longest river in modern Europe, and the Oder crosses the Central European Plain. Rivers with internal flows are also important, most of them are used for irrigation, and some are even on the verge of extinction.

Description of the relief of Eurasia

Scientists have established that Eurasia was formed as a result of the convergence of several lithospheric platforms. As a result of the connection of the Russian, Siberian, Chinese, Arabian and Indian plates, a folded continent was formed. In places of its convergence, mountains, volcanoes and hills were formed. However, the lithospheric movement accompanied not only the protrusion of the subsoil to the surface, during seismic activity fractures formed. Currently, these are depressions, rivers, seas, lakes and detached islands.

Eurasia is a rather high continent, its average height is 835-840 m above sea level. At the same time, the highest mountain range, the Himalayan Range, is concentrated on it, which makes the core of the mainland even higher. There are many other mountain elevations here, as a rule, between the mountains there is a highland or plateau. The most famous Central Siberian, Dean, Iranian, plateau. Among the large-scale plains are East European, Central European, West Siberian.

Distributed in Eurasia and deserts, one of the largest is the Rub al-Khali desert. It covers several countries with sand (Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). The deserts of the Karakum and Kyzyl Kum are located in Central Asia. The Gobi and Takla Makan deserts lie between the Tien Shan and Tibetan mountains. There is also a Kazakh upland not far from Balkhash, it is an ancient mountain destruction. Once there were mountains, now only small elevations remain of them - the Kokchetav Upland, the Karkaraly Mountains.

The western side is notable for its homogeneity, but even here there are irregularities - the Alpine mountains that cross several countries, the volcanoes of Italy, the Turkish mountains. By the way, volcanoes are also found in Japan, on the island of Sumatra, in Southeast Asia. Some of them are extinct, not showing themselves for several decades.

Deserts of Eurasia description

Surprisingly, all the deserts of Eurasia are concentrated in the Asian part of the mainland. It turns out that it was there that they dominated unfavourable conditions for all living things, resulting in sandy and rocky dunes.

Arabian deserts

The Arabian deserts smoothly flow from one large desert to a smaller one and eventually form as many as 5 deserts:

• Rub al Khali - consists of sand lying on top of gypsum / gravel deposits, the hottest and driest desert of Eurasia;
• Big Nefud- a desert with red sand and strong winds. Known for the fact that in some of its parts there is still life-giving moisture. In these same places, certain crops are grown in the form of vegetables and fruits;

• Dehnu- sandy-stony desert, which lies in a mountain hollow;
• Nefud-Dakhi- central desert. The sand dunes are inhabited by some Bedouin tribes;
• Al Hasa- a desert filled with sand and only one oasis of Ratif.

Mongolian deserts

The world-famous Gobi desert is located in the mountains of Mongolia. It is divided into several parts and is the separator between northern and southern Asia. Conventionally, the daughter deserts were named due to the adjacent territories. For example, a part of the desert adjacent to the Altai Mountains was called the Trans-Altai, a part near Mongolia was called the Mongolian Gobi. In addition to these, the five deserts include the Alashan Gobi, the Gashun Gobi and the Dzungarian Gobi.

The rest of the deserts of Eurasia are located in different parts of the mainland one by one. They have no nearby counterparts, but have their own history and differentiated composition:

• Karakum and Kyzylkum Both deserts are in Turkmenistan. Only Kyzylkum goes to the territories of neighboring Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan;
• Takla Makan, Tsaidam, Ordos the deserts of China. They differ in their composition: Takla-Makan - sandy; Tsaidam - saline-sandy; Ordos - sandy-clayey;
• Tar, Thal- sandy deserts originating in India. Tar simultaneously captures the territory of Pakistan;

• Syrian desert - is called the Greater Desert. Consists of sand and stones and stretches for more than 1 million km. It lies on the territory of Syria, Jordan and Iraq;
• Dashti-Margo- located in Afghanistan, translated as the valley of death. It lies in the river valley, among its sandy section there are clay and stony rocks;
• Badgers Large and small - are located on the territory of Kazakhstan in the northern part of the Aral Sea;
• Judaean Desert - the most mythical and popular among pilgrims. Located in Israel, west of the Dead Sea. Many researchers believe that reservoirs lie under this desert, which let hundreds of millions of cubic meters of water pass through them.

Description of the natural zone of Eurasia taiga

The taiga is located on the border with the tundra and is not distinguished by the abundance of flora and fauna. Its nature is devoid of biological diversity; in conditions of severe cold and high humidity, only certain plants adapted to acidic soils can survive. Pine, cedar, alder, birch, larch and some types of poplars are common in the taiga. Boreal forests are quite dense, their peculiarity lies in the fact that in most trees the seeds ripen in cones, hiding from the cold and excessive moisture.

Taiga forests can be called impenetrable. On the one hand, the difficulty lies in dense and high forests, on the other hand, in swamps. The taiga area is simply overflowing with water, small rivers, swamps and swamps literally ooze from it. However, animals and insects have long adapted to low temperatures and moisture.

Wolves, lynxes, foxes, tigers, bears, desmans, sables, ermines, chipmunks are found in the taiga, and the largest taiga animal is the elk. It feeds on the "lower" green layer of vegetation - mosses and lichens, which are more than enough here due to the specific environment.

Brief description of the nature of Eurasia

In general, the vegetation of Eurasia is the richest on the planet, there are all types of forests: deciduous, broad-leaved, eucalyptus, etc. There is practically no piece of land on the continent that is not covered with greenery, with the exception of deserts. And then, sometimes there are thorns, feather grass. Starting from the lower grass layer, the soil is covered with a layer of grass or mosses, then low-growing plants or shrubs grow, and multi-tiered tree species grow higher. This order of growth is established in the subtropical, tropical, subequatorial and temperate climatic zones.

The seas, rivers and lakes of Eurasia are filled with fish, waterfowl, among which there are commercial species. Among them are chum salmon, sturgeon, beluga, kaluga, coho salmon, trout, salmon, flounder, etc. As for the animal world, the tiger is considered the most dangerous Eurasian representative. Behind him are several varieties of bears, wolverines, lynxes. Fields and forests are inhabited by many species of rodents, and many birds also live on the territory of Eurasia.
The Central European part and southern Eurasia are the most favorable for the cultivation of agricultural crops, the south of Asia is famous for the market of fruits and spices. In other words, regardless of climatic conditions, animals and plants have learned to adapt to their environment.

Description of the subtropical belt of Eurasia

The subtropical belt of Eurasia is very specific in its content. This is explained by the fact that the belt is lined with different areas: mountains are replaced by plains, lowlands go into the seas. The climate of the subtropics is very diverse because of this. However, there are two typical seasons - winter and summer. From the west, the mainland is affected by the Atlantic cyclone, and from the south by African warm air currents. Because of this, the Mediterranean has hot and dry summers and rainy warm winters.

The middle continental part is dry and cold. winter period. The warm Indian monsoon blows from the south in summer, the islands and land are in excess of precipitation (more than 3000 mm). In winter, the climate changes, the influence is exerted by the eastern part of the subtropical belt. From there come the monsoons, which flood the continent with rain and cold winds.

Description of the temperate climatic zone of Eurasia

In Eurasia, the temperate climatic zone is considered the widest and longest. It stretches immediately between the 40th and 65th parallels. Here the distinction between all seasons is expressed. In summer there is a high sun, the air temperature is always positive, in autumn and winter the thermometer drops lower than in summer, and in winter in all regions of the temperate zone it snows and the temperature drops below 0 degrees.

The relief of the continent in the temperate zone is mixed, so there is a variation in temperatures in the same season. For example, Atlantic air masses bring warm temperatures from the west, resulting in warmer winters in Europe than in central and eastern Eurasia.

Description of the tropical belt of Eurasia

The tropical belt captures a small part of Eurasia. For this, it is considered unique on the mainland. This territory includes the Arabian Peninsula and the adjacent countries of Mesopotamia. The tropics are warm all year round. Continental-tropical air currents move above them.

The wet streams of the Indian Ocean cannot reach this part of the continent because of the mountains bordering the Arabian Peninsula, so here are the largest deserts on Earth, where heat and drought reign all year round. Most of the year it is dominated by summer with temperatures above 35º C (July). During the summer period, temperatures around 60º C were recorded in Riyadh. Precipitation in these places is very rare. Tropical winter takes place with average temperatures of 12-16º C in January.

Lakes of Eurasia

Most of the lakes of Eurasia are recognized as exceptional. Some of them amaze with their transparency, inconsistency, others have an unusual history of formation, others feed on glacial waters, and some even turned from seas into lakes. Yes, yes, unfortunately this happens, because of the drought and the harmful influence of mankind. Such a story happened with the salty Aral Lake, for a long time it was used for irrigation, as a result, the southern part former sea almost dried up.

The nearby Caspian Sea is also now classified as a lake. Its water level is constantly fluctuating, the maximum depth is 1025 m.
On the territory of Europe, the country of Estonia has the largest number of lakes (Chudskoye, Alesti, Kaali, Verevi, etc.). Who would have thought that in such a small country there are so many lakes. Germany and Norway are next in terms of the number of water attractions. After them Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Iceland. The most remarkable lake in Europe is Lake Como, in addition to being very deep, many world celebrities settled along it, including Madonna, Ronaldinho and others. Lake Venern (5.65 thousand km) is recognized as the freshest, and its area is the third after Lake Ladoga (17.8 thousand km) and Lake Onega (9.7 thousand km).

Central Eurasia is filled with no less number of lakes than European. Lake Onega, Ladoga, Urmia, the system of lakes Seleger, Karelia are located here. Eastern Eurasia is filled with lakes Balkhash, Issyk-Kul, Duntin, Taimyr, Khanka. But the most unsurpassed lake is Baikal. This is the deepest freshwater lake on the planet (1642 m), located in the rift basin. The beautiful waters of Lake Baikal contain many aquatic inhabitants, among which there is an unusual golomyanka fish that does not have scales, but consists of fat by a third. For remarkable processes, outstanding phenomena, beauty and significance, the lake has been on the UNESCO heritage list since December 1996.

Mountains of Eurasia

The mountains of Eurasia surpass all the elevations of the planet. Here is the highest peak of the Earth - Chomolungma. Every year it gets higher. The Ural mountain range divides the mainland into two parts: Europe and Asia. The Alps are considered the highest mountain range in the European part, followed by the Carpathians, which also cover several countries.

On the territory of the largest country on the mainland of Russia there are many mountain ranges: the Caucasus, Altai, the mountains of Southern Siberia, North-Eastern Siberia: the Stanovoye Uplands, the Verkhoyansk Range, the Stanovoy Range. In Kamchatka, there are also hills - a chain of Klyuchevskaya volcanoes, one of the main elevated among the hills is the volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka.

The Asian part is literally raised by mountain ranges. From the south it is framed by Sahyadri,
Yunnan-Guizhou Highlands) from the east, Eurasia is closed by the Sikhote-Alin mountains. Here is Tibet, Tien Shan. In the southeast of the continent, the Central Iranian chain of mountains, the Iranian Highlands, and the Kuhrud ridge are located. The northwest is closed by the Scandinavian mountains.

Animals of Eurasia

The territory of Eurasia is diverse in its relief, respectively, there is a wide variety of flora and fauna. The most populated are areas with a normal, affordable climate. Extreme climatic zones, similar to the Arctic and subarctic climatic zones, are devoid of animal diversity.

The fauna of the tundra is poor, deer, arctic foxes, wolves, hares, foxes, polar bears and some species of birds live here. In the taiga zone, the list of animals becomes wider, there are already moose, brown bears, lemings, ermines, sables, weasels, otters, rascomakhs, tigers, and small rodents. Among the birds in the taiga there are capercaillie, nutcrackers, Trans-Siberian owls, smurfs, woodpeckers. Also, a large number of insects live here, which literally live in clouds on every meter of wet terrain.

In the temperate zone, the number of inhabitants of the animal world becomes more meaningful (cows, bulls, sheep, rams, goats, wild boars, etc.). The inhabitants of the south and south-east of Asia are interesting. The largest land-based proboscis mammals live here - elephants, bantengs, binturongs, gaurs, camels, big cats, rhinos, chamois, tapirs, exotic birds and, of course, the most charming koalas and pandas. The latter, by the way, are listed in the Red Book. Also in Asia there are a large number of monkeys, amphibians: frogs, newts, reptiles: crocodiles, turtles, snakes and insects.

The desert zone also did not remain without its inhabitants: lizards, ground frogs, mice, chuckwells, snakes, foxes, ground squirrels, camels, gazelles, and some species of birds. Even in the Namib desert, there are insect beetles that accumulate moisture on their skin at the time of fog, they feed on life-giving drops during the heat. The most dangerous arachnids on the planet, Transvaal scorpions, also live here.

Unusual plants of Eurasia

• The leader is radiant;

• Tacca Chantrier;

• Flower kadupul;

• Flycatcher flower;

• Catalpa;

• Mongolia.

As part of the school curriculum, students study the continents. The most interesting is Eurasia. Why is that? First of all, it is the largest continent on Earth. Considering its size, it is not surprising that this territory has areas with different topography and climate. It is also worth paying attention to the geological structure of the area.

This article will consider the features of the relief of Eurasia. So let's get started.

Mainland Eurasia: a brief description

Eurasia, as already mentioned, is the largest continent on the planet. Its area is measured on a huge scale, which makes up almost 40% of the entire land mass. If we express this in numbers, then the size of this territory amounted to almost 55 million square meters. km. There are about 100 states on this continent. Its position on the map can be found by the following coordinates: between 1°16"N and 77°43"N. sh.; 9°31"W and 169°42"W d.

It is worth noting that the mainland is unique not only for its size. Eurasia is the only continent on the planet that is washed by all four oceans of the globe. Also interesting is the fact that two parts of the world - Europe and Asia - unite on its territory. And since they lie in different geographical zones, then the relief and climate of Eurasia vary greatly throughout its length.

Highlights of formation

I would like to highlight the fact that Eurasia is significantly different in terms of geological structure from other continents. It is based on several plates and platforms. The time period of formation falls on the Cenozoic and Mesozoic eras. Geologically, the mainland is considered the youngest.

Structure of Eurasia:

• North: Siberian, East European platforms and West Siberian plate.
• East: South China, Sino-Korean platforms and plates of Alpine folding.
• West: plates of Paleozoic platforms and
• South: Arabian, Indian platforms and Iranian plate.

Also on the territory of the mainland there are large cracks and faults, which prevail to a greater extent in the Siberian region (for example, Tibet, Lake Baikal). Volcanoes can erupt and earthquakes occur, as evidenced by the features of the relief of Eurasia. Due to the unusual nature, these territories contain the richest deposits of minerals, such as tin, tungsten, natural gas, oil, various ores and others.

Variety of mountainous terrain

The peculiarities of the mountain relief are that, unlike other continents, where the uplands are mainly located along the outskirts, here they are located in the very depths, separated by two folded belts: the Pacific and the Albian-Himalayan. The first of them stretches almost along the entire eastern part. There is still a lot of movement here. earth's crust.

When compiling a description of the relief of Eurasia, it is worth noting that the average heights vary within 830 m. It is here that the highest point on the planet - Everest (8,848 m) is located. No less significant are other mountain formations:

• The Himalayas are a mountain system located on the border of South and Central Asia. It is considered the highest array. It occupies an area of ​​about 1.1 million square meters. km. It has a length of more than 2.3 thousand km, and a width of almost 1.4 thousand km.
• Hindu Kush is a mountain system of Central Asia. It occupies an area of ​​about 155 thousand square meters. km. The width and length of the massif almost reach 600 km.
• Tien Shan is a mountain system located on the territory of five states of Central Asia. Consists of numerous ridges. The highest mountain is Pobeda peak (7439 m).
• The Altai Mountains are one of the most complex systems, which represent the relief of Eurasia. Located on the territory of four states, the total area is about 740 thousand square meters. km. The length of the mountain range is more than 1.8 thousand km, and the width is slightly more than 1.2 thousand km.
• The Alps are a mountain range that does not go beyond the borders of Europe, with a total area of ​​190 thousand square meters. km. The most high peak- Mont Blanc (4 810 m).
• consist of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. Geographically located between the Caspian and the Black Sea.
• The Ural Mountains are an array that runs between two plains: West Siberian and East European. Its length was 2 thousand km, and its width varies from 40 to 150 km.
• The Deccan Plateau is located in (Hindostan Peninsula). It occupies a fairly large area - about 1 million square meters. km.
• The Central Siberian Plateau is located in Eastern Siberia. The maximum height is 1701 m (Kamen peak). Almost the entire territory is dominated by a sharply continental climate.

Plain relief of Eurasia

In addition to mountain peaks, there are also plains on the mainland. Let's take a look at them.

• The East European Plain is located in the eastern part of Europe. There are 10 states on its territory. Most of it belongs to Russia. The borders are the coasts of the Baltic, White, Caspian, Black, Azov and Barents Seas, as well as the Ural Mountains. In terms of area, the plain occupies an area of ​​​​more than 4 million square meters. km. The average height is 170 m.
• The West Siberian Plain is located on the Central Siberian Plateau to the Ural Mountains. It is on this territory that the major rivers of Russia flow: the Ob, Irtysh, Yenisei. The area of ​​this area is 2.6 million square meters. km. Climatic conditions are quite severe here.
• occupies the territory of Central Asia. In the north it borders on the Turgai Plateau, in the south - on the foothills of Paropamiz. The climate in this region is sharply continental, and in the south - subtropical.
• The Great Plain of China is located in East Asia. This region is considered one of the largest. Its area is more than 320 thousand square meters. km. The climate in this area is moderate monsoon, in the south - subtropical.

Climate features

The relief of Eurasia directly affects the formation of climate. Considering that the size of the mainland is quite large, the diversity of the climate is pronounced here. Almost all climatic zones pass through the territory of Eurasia.

In the north, polar and subpolar are distinguished. To the south, they are replaced by the temperate zone, which, in turn, passes into the subtropical. The tropical belt extends from the Mediterranean and Red Seas all the way to India. Subequatorial dominates the territory of India and Indochina, capturing the southern part of China. And the last climatic zone is equatorial. It covers the territory of the islands of Southeast Asia.

In the center of the mainland, there is a sharp change in climate in different times of the year. It is cold in winter and warm in summer. The difference between the upper and lower temperature limits is 50-70 °C.

When studying the climate, it is important to take into account the relief of Eurasia. Mountain formations act as clear boundaries of weather conditions. For example, in the direction from north to south, the territory is entirely occupied by the huge Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt. In winter, the ridges do not let cold winds through, and in summer - warm ones. In the north of the Himalayas, the minimum amount of precipitation is up to 100 mm per year, but at the foot of the east, this figure reaches a record 1,000 mm. Near the city of Cherrapunji is the wettest point on the planet. The amount of precipitation here reaches about 12,000 mm per year.

Winter in areas that are limited by mountain ranges is warm. The temperature here rarely drops below -5 °C. But the flat terrain from November to March-April is under the influence of cold cyclones. This season is characterized by precipitation in the form of snow, accompanied by low temperatures, sometimes reaching minus 45-50 °C.

Eurasia is the largest continent in the world. It occupies 1/3 of the entire land mass of the planet. The huge size and complex structure of the earth's crust create unique natural conditions in terms of diversity.

In Eurasia there is the highest mountain of the Earth - Chomolungma (Everest), the largest mountain system in terms of area - Tibet, the largest peninsula - Arabian, the largest geographical area - Siberia, the lowest point of land - the Dead Sea depression.

Geographical position of Eurasia

Using the map, let's determine the geographical position of Eurasia according to the plan:

Rice. 1. Geographical position of Eurasia

In which hemispheres is the continent located?

a) Relative to the equator, the mainland lies almost entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. The exception is the southern islands of the mainland.

b) Regarding the zero meridian - almost the entire continent is located in the Eastern Hemisphere, only the extreme west of Eurasia enters the Western Hemisphere.

What oceans surround the mainland?

From the north - the Arctic Ocean,

from the south - Indian, from the west - Atlantic,

from the east - the Pacific Ocean.

Location relative to other continents

Eurasia borders on many continents that have a certain influence on it. Direct connection with Africa through the Suez Canal and with North America through the Bering Strait was the reason for the similarity of the organic world of these continents.

Rice. 2. extreme points mainland

Eurasia - two parts of the world

Eurasia is formed by two parts of the world - Europe and Asia.

It is customary to draw a conditional border between them along the eastern foot of the Ural Mountains, along the Emba River, the northern coast of the Caspian Sea and the Kumo-Manych depression. The maritime border runs along the Azov and Black Seas, as well as the straits connecting the Black and mediterranean sea, is the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles.

(Find all objects on the physical map of the mainland.)

Coastline outlines

Eurasia is distinguished by a strong indentation of the coastline, especially in the west of the mainland.

The physical map of the continent shows that Atlantic Ocean goes deep into the land, isolating the Scandinavian Peninsula. In the south of the mainland, they stand out for their size Arabian Peninsula and Hindustan. Washes them Indian Ocean. There are few islands off the southern coast of Eurasia, the largest is Sri Lanka. The coastline of the mainland is also noticeably indented in the east, it is washed by the Pacific Ocean. The marginal seas are separated from Pacific Ocean a chain of peninsulas (the largest - Kamchatka) and islands, the largest - Big Sunda. The Arctic Ocean, washing the mainland from the north, does not go deep into the land. The largest peninsulas Kola, Taimyr, Chukotka.

Rice. 3. physical map Eurasia

Bibliography

MainI am:

Geography. Earth and people. Grade 7: textbook for general education. uch. / A.P. Kuznetsov, L.E. Savelyeva, V.P. Dronov. Series "Spheres". – M.: Enlightenment, 2011. Geography. Earth and people. Grade 7: atlas. Series "Spheres". – M.: Enlightenment, 2011.

Additional:

1. Maksimov N.A. Behind the pages of a geography textbook. – M.: Enlightenment.

1.Russian geographical society ().

2. Russian education ().

3. Journal "Geography" ().

4. Geographical directory ().